Clockwork, First Parish Northfield, Unitarian

Brian Tanguay of Tanguay Jewelers in Gardner is restoring our E. Howard tower clock (a.k.a. Northfield’s Town Clock). These first two photos are before and after pictures of the first parts taken to the shop for cleaning: Bushings, the counting wheel to tell the clock how many times to strike the bell at the top of each hour, the escape wheel and the 4th wheel.

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About First Parish

The present First Parish Unitarian Church, built in 1879, is adjacent to the site of the first church in Northfield. The original was “in the street,” now the middle of Main Street, which was common land.

Here, cows, swine, and sheep ran free while the houses and people were fenced to protect the home gardens from the wandering beasts.

The church holds a fine E&GG Hook organ #48, built in 1842. The Town Clock in the steeple is an 1871 Howard Company clock.

The mission of First Parish of Northfield Unitarian is to embrace the spiritual through imaginative contemplation and reflection; to nurture fellowship, service and charity; and to share, celebrate and affirm diversity and explore common needs among members, friends and the larger community.

Growing out of the Judeo-Christian tradition, we also seek inspiration from great philosophers and world religions. We cherish diversity among our members, and require adherence to no creed.

As members of the Unitarian Universalist Association, we accept the following principles agreed to by its member churches:

– Every person is a person of inherent worth and dignity.

– Human relations should be based on justice, equity, and compassion.

– Spiritual growth should be encouraged in our congregation but we should accept one another without regard to judgments about our spiritual growth.

– The search for truth and meaning should be free and responsible.

– Within our congregation and society at large the rights of conscience should be respected and a democratic process followed.

– We should work for the goal of a world community with peace, liberty, and justice for all.

– We should respect the interdependent web of all existence of which we are a part.

By First Parish Northfield, Unitarian